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Case closed: victims sent flowers after burglaries in British towns

Josie Ensor

British police are giving bouquets of flowers to victims of burglaries and muggings - crimes they are unlikely to be able to solve.

Forces across the country have started sending flowers to ''soften the blow'', although one victim said she felt ''fobbed off'' by the gesture.

In the London borough of Barnet, the Metropolitan Police has sent out about 300 bouquets since the initiative started in November. The flowers have been donated by a florist, which aims to gain business as a result.

The Met's command there sent flowers to Sarah Miller after she was burgled two weeks ago.

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After the burglary an officer dusted for fingerprints. Later that day she received a card that said ''Sorry you have been a victim of crime, unfortunately in this case there is insufficient evidence to proceed and investigation into your crime will now be closed.'' The next day a £25 ($36) bunch of flowers arrived.

Mrs Miller said: ''It was nice to receive them, but … I'd rather they'd have sent a community support officer to comfort me after it happened rather than being fobbed off with flowers.''